Part 6 (2/2)
”You may break, you may burn the garage if you will The taste of the gasoline stays with it still.”
It was Walter who mis-quoted this couplet.
”Oh, boys, please do be quiet!” begged Cora. ”We will never get anything done if you don't!”
”It strikes me we got considerable done a short time ago, when we put that fire out,” remarked Jack. Cora looked sharply at him.
”I'll be good, Sis--don't shoot--I'm coming down,” he exclaimed, and he ”slumped” at Eline's feet and made a fruitless endeavor to hold her slim, pretty hand.
”Stop!” she commanded with a blush.
”That's my privilege!” called Ed, as he made a quick move, but the visitor from the Windy City escaped by getting behind Bess, who was in the Roman chair.
”If you don't----” began Cora determinedly, and then she changed her tone.
”Please----” she pleaded.
”After that--nothing but silence!” came from Walter. ”Go easy, boys!”
Silence did reign--or, considering the shower, might one not say ”rain”
for a moment? Cora resumed.
”We are to start as early in the morning as possible,” she said. ”I figured--or rather Jack and Ed did--that the trip to Sandy Point Cove would take about three days--perhaps four if--if anything happened like tire trouble. But we are in no hurry, and we can spend five days on the road if we like.
”My cousin, Mrs. Fordam, will go along with us as a chaperone, so that stopping at hotels will be perfectly--proper.”
”I thought it was always proper to stop at a hotel--when you had the price!” ventured Jack.
”You don't understand,” declared his sister, giving him a look. ”So Cousin Mary will be on the trip with us. I guess you all know her, except Eline and Norton. She's jolly and funny.”
”Why can't she go right on to the Cove with us, and chaperone there, too?”
Belle wanted to know.
”Because Mamma's aunt--Mrs. Susan Chester--is to look after us there.
You'll like Aunt Susan, I'm sure.”
”Are we to call her that?” Ed asked.
”Of course--she won't mind,” spoke Cora. ”Well, as I said, we'll go to the Cove--taking whatever time we please. There are two bungalows there, you know, and we girls are to have the larger one, so----”
”Well, I like that!” cried Jack, sitting up. ”As if we fellows could dress in a band-box.”
”Oh, your place is plenty big enough--you know it is!” retorted his sister. ”And you know when you and I went down to look at them you said you liked the smaller one best, anyhow.”
”Did I?” inquired Jack, slightly bewildered.
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